Bishwajit Roy
When the news first broke, Mashrafe bin Mortaza’s first reaction was astonishment, which goes to explain his first words. “This is totally unexpected,” said the man who has been dubbed the Narail Express by adulating fans.
“The most I thought it (the bidding price) would go is 70,000 dollars. But never in my dreams did I think I would fetch 600,000 dollars! It’s unbelievable,” said the excited Bangladesh fast bowler expressing his delight after a sensational bidding war in the Indian Premier league (IPL) auction in Goa saw him snapped up by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders yesterday.
The man was over the moon and why not? The Bangladesh vice-captain has just landed the biggest deal in the country’s sports history. And if anyone deserves it, the man known for his brave-heart attitude definitely does.
“The amount is no joke. I never thought I could earn such a big amount of money by playing cricket. But it’s also a great honour. Aside from the money, just think, I will be playing under a great captain (Sourav Ganguly) and be surrounded by my favourite players like Ricky Ponting, Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum,” said Mashrafe adding with a smile: “And there is also my favourite actor (Shahrukh Khan)”.
The paceman was showered with greetings once the news broke and his parents even broke into tears of joy at their beloved son’s amazing success: “My father was just crying while talking over phone from my home district (Narail),” said Mashrafe, who had showed the courage to refuse a US$150,000 negotiation proposal from the same team to try his luck in the bidding.
It was a busy day at Mashrafe’s simple Mirpur apartment, which he shares with his wife. And the one question that was on everyone’s lips was: is there any special plan with the huge money?
“It still feels surreal to me”, the smiling Mashrafe responded.
“I want to thank my family, friends and the board because of their support throughout my injury-hit career but I must also thank Yuvraj Singh who, I think, made it possible. Nothing would have been better that if I could play in his side. However, Kolkata Knight Riders is my favourite team,” he said.
“I have lots of friends and fans in India and that’s why I am excited. I love being there and it is a pleasure to play in India. Kolkata is just next-door and I know how much people there admire Bangladeshi cricketers. Everything is perfect for me. And the auction is over now and my challenge is to go over there and prove my worth,” he added.
The focus was all on star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan but surprisingly the man in form, who is now the world’s number one ranked all-rounder in one-dayers, did not find a buyer. Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal also faced the same fate but another good news for Bangladesh was that Tigers skipper Mohammad Ashraful was also made his way.
Ace batsman Ashraful was purchased by Mumbai Indians at his base price of US$ 75,000 in the second round after most teams had done in their 10-player quota of foreign players.
It was however Mashrafe who took the center-stage as his purchase sparked a buzz in the auction room. Mashrafe’s bidding had started with a base price of US$ 50,000 but his figures kept climbing steadily with the Kings XI Punjab hot on the heels of the Knight Riders before the Kolkata side roped him for 12 times his starting price.
“I am just thrilled the way my bidding was completed. I feel this is a result of all the hard work I have put in over the years and also a reward for being consistent this season. I would have been a lot happier if Shakib (Al Hasan) had got a team because he truly deserved it for his sensational form with the bat and ball,” said Mashrafe.
Ashraful was also disappointed with Shakib’s absence but was delighted with his deputy’s achievement and said that having two representatives from Bangladesh through an intense bidding was an encouraging sign for cricket in this country.
“Shakib missing out was a bit of a shock because he is one player who has dominated in both forms of international cricket this season. But I guess luck is also a factor in auctions. Nevertheless I am very happy for Mash (Mortaza) as he been outstanding day in and day out for us. It is also positive for our cricket that two of us have been chosen amid stiff competition,” observed the Bangladesh skipper.
The signing for Mumbai Indians also would allows the Tigers skipper to realise a childhood dream: “It’s no secret that Sachin Tendulkar has been an idol for me and as a youngster I dreamt of playing alongside Sachin some day and now we are in the same team. And it’s a great opportunity for me to learn.”
The staple of every cricketer plying his trade–dreams & big money–are now a reality for Mashrafe and Ashraful. However, the challenges for the Tigers now just got a whole lot bigger.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
